Hey there!

Welcome to the very first newsletter from IE's Sustainability Student Committee. We're so glad you're here. Think of this as your monthly chat with a friend who's equally excited (and sometimes confused) about making better choices for the planet: no judgment, just curiosity and learning together.

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Grab your coffee (or té con leche), and let's dive in!

Is my decision contributing?

🎁 5 Spots for Gifts with Better Impact in Madrid

Let's be real: the emissions and waste from holiday consumption are mostly on industries and systems, not on you as an individual. But thinking about where we shop can help us support businesses doing things differently, and honestly, it makes gift-giving more interesting.

Here are five spots in Madrid where your euros go a bit further:

1. Delicious & Sons (Online Gourmet Store)
 Founded by two Spanish chefs celebrating Mediterranean tradition with a modern twist. Their gourmet boxes—think artichoke paté, saffron aioli, truffle sauces—are organic, vegan, and made locally from farm to jar.

2. Ecoalf Store (Barrio de Salamanca)
 B Corp certified, making clothes and accessories from recycled materials. Their stuff is genuinely cool, but heads up: recycled plastic is still plastic,, just giving bottles a second life.

3. Tetérum (Premium tea)
The tea gift boxes and mugs are genuinely beautiful, the kind you'd be excited to give or receive. This B Corp creates real jobs for people with autism. Pro tip: keep an eye out for them on Too Good To Go for surprise deals.

4. Fever & Civitatis (Online experiences)
 Instead of more things, what about gifting an experience? A cooking class, a concert, a guided walk through Madrid's hidden corners. Zero wrapping paper and lots of memories.

5. Real Fábrica Española (Barrio de Las Letras & Online)
Spanish artisan goods and heritage brands that were almost forgotten. The owner travels across Spain, rescuing everything from ceramics to gourmet food. While not all practices are environmentally perfect, this effort helps preserve local craftsmanship.

👕👗 Fast Fashion During the Holidays

There is some truth to the idea that it is not always easy to choose better, and fast fashion is accessible and affordable for many people. But we just want you to remember: fast fashion is pretty smart in making us feel like we always need something new. But the truth is, you (and your closet) are enough.
  
The fashion industry causes about 10% of global carbon emissions: that is more than flying and shipping combined.

Bring some relevant content into the Room

🌳 COP 30 Recap

The COP30, held from 10–23 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, was the first UN climate summit in the Amazon and came with high expectations. The most notable headline is the absence of an official US federal delegation at the event. Finance was where negotiators could claim their clearest win. Countries sent a political signal to triple adaptation finance (funding to address current climate impacts) by 2035, compared with 2022 levels. Another positive was increased commitment to forest conservation and nature restoration. On the other hand, fossil fuel mitigation didn't receive any explicit commitments with no clear mention of phasing out oil, coal or gas, only vague references to clean energy transitions.

(Read more here: UN, CNN)

 👀 What The Numers Say

• China's global carbon footprint is more than twice that of the second-highest emitter. (NYT)

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